I Can't Stop Loving You
by BillysLittleCowgirl
Summary: A heartwarming tale of love, loss, identity and breast size. Chp 4 - Crys returns to home to find a massacre by the Zexens.
1. Default Chapter

I Can't Stop Loving You  
  
Chapter One: A New Recruit  
  
Geez, I've already written the first four chapters of this story ... I meant to have it published earlier, but there's been so much going on! A girl got run over and killed right in front of my school the other day (she was a student) and one of my friends was 5 feet away when it happened. So, yeah, I've been trying to cheer people up, but I ended up bawling my ass off last night as I helped set up for the memorial. Oh, okay, okay, disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Suikoden 3 ... but I DID get the game for my birthday.  
  
Geddoe and his team eyed the newcomer with ample suspicion. She'd arrived quite unexpectedly before them in Vinay del Zexay; they'd been on their way to the Zexen forest when she'd confronted them. She was very tall, about 5'8 or 5'9, with long chestnut brown hair tied back in a ponytail and cobalt blue eyes. Outfitted in samurai gi with gauntlets up to her elbows, she carried a backpack, a small sleeping bag and a naginata. "Are you the 12th unit of the Southern Frontier Force? ... 'Cause if you're not, I give up."  
  
"We are ..." Queen said slowly.   
  
The girl sighed, looking greatly relieved. "Oh ... good. So you must be Captain Ghetto."  
  
"It's Geddoe, actually ...." he mumbled.   
  
"Right, right. Anyway, I'm Crystelle of the Syaoran clan. Headquarters wanted me to join your team. Oh, and y'all can call me Crys."  
  
"What kind of word is THAT?" Ace asked of Joker, who simply shrugged.  
  
"I thought the current head of the Syaoran clan had two sons older than his daughter," Geddoe remarked. "Why'd they send you?"  
  
Her cheerful smile was replaced by an irritated frown. "I've been sent because I have to undergo a test to see if I'm fit to lead the clan. Besides, I'm a better fighter than all of my brothers combined! So if YOU have a problem, you can burn in hell."  
  
"Alright, alright, it's fine. I'm Queen. This is Joker, and that creep over there is Ace. Oh, and that's Jacques. He's shy."  
  
Jacques rolled his eyes. "Well, it's nice to meetcha. I'll be accompanying y'all on your missions for a while."  
  
"Can you use that thing, little girl?" Ace asked in a condescending tone.   
  
"Please," she grumbled. "I've been studying naginata-jitsu since I was five. And I'm not a little girl. I'm seventeen."  
  
"You shouldn't have said that," Queen warned. "He'll go for anyone who's older than sixteen."  
  
"I will not!" he protested. "I have no interest in flat-chested giants!"  
  
Crys' face turned red with anger. She sighed a moment later, however, and quickly calmed herself. Her youthful smile returned once again. "Okay, so where're y'all headed?"  
  
"Throught the forest, to Great Hollow."  
  
"Oh, to see the Lizard Clan?! Wow, I've never seen a Lizard before!"   
  
It was Ace's turn to sigh. "Geez, and we have to drag HER along?"  
  
They reached the forest quickly; Geddoe was forcing his team to move at a fast pace. He didn't want to be caught in the wilderness at nightfall Ð there were rumors of horrible monsters in the forest. Although the others were constantly asking Crys questions, he found their conversation amusing rather than irritating.   
  
"Why do you think headquarters wanted you to come along with us?" Queen inquired.   
  
"Dunno. My whole family was really surprised, especially me. But if it counts as my mission to prove my worth, I don't really care."  
  
"Do you ever get mistaken for a boy?"   
  
Queen glared at Ace sharply. "Don't be so rude!" she hissed. "This girl is one of us now!"  
  
"Ass ..." Crys mumbled. She turned to look at Jacques. "Hey, prettyboy, don't you ever talk?"  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
She sighed in reply. "What a bunch of freaks ..." she whispered to herself, careful not to let anyone hear her.   
  
"Hey, look! It's Brass Castle!" Ace suddenly exclaimed. True enough, they'd exited the forest and made it to the stronghold of the ironhead federation. The team seemed less than enthusiastic, save for Ace; he was the only one with fond memories of the place. "Ah, this takes me back ..."  
  
"Save it!" Joker growled. He pushed past his "counterpart" and into the town.   
  
"What a crappy place," Crys commented as they walked through the castle.  
  
"Do you have anything nice to say about ANYTHING?" Ace demanded.   
  
"I could ask you the same thing," was the irritated response.   
  
"Look, you two, let's try to be civil to each other, okay?" Queen interrupted, playing the peacemaker.   
  
Crys fell into pace with Jacques. "So, have you been traveling with these guys long?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Ah, so you're sort of a newbie, too. What's the captain like? Is he a jerk like the old pervert, or really nice like the chick and the old man?"  
  
"Neither, really."  
  
She looked at him for a moment. "Not really much of a talker, huh?" She smiled warmly at him. "Well, it doesn't matter. At least you won't interrupt me when I'm talking, right?"  
  
"I guess not."  
  
"Well, if I get too chatty, feel free to just punch me or something, okay? That's about the only way I'll shut up."  
  
Jacques smiled. Barely. "I don't mind."  
  
"Great! I really like being able to rattle off about nothing in particular and not getting yelled at by my brothers. The only other person besides you that doesn't seem to mind is my papa." Ace snickered at the word. "CRAM it!"   
  
A horse suddenly flew by, knocking Crys off her feet and onto the ground with a sickening thud. "Ow, my ASS!" she groaned, not bothering to get up as she rubbed her lower back.   
  
"Geez, watch where you're going!" Joker said to the mounted blue-haired elf that had nearly run her over. "You could kill somebody!"  
  
"Yeah, JERK!" Crys growled. Jacques offered a hand to help her up, but she ignored it and got to her feet on her own; he simply shrugged.   
  
"Perhaps the little wench should watch herself, not to mention her tongue," he replied in a pretentious tone. "An outsider shouldn't speak to one of the Six Mighty Knights of Zexen in such a manner."  
  
"I have half a mind to beat your face in, you Ð" she began slowly, but Queen held a hand up to silence her. Crys merely folded her arms across her chest and glared at the arrogant elf.   
  
"We're sorry for her language, Sir Roland. She's rather ... uncouth, and doesn't know how to speak to authority. Please forgive her."  
  
Roland looked down his nose at the irate girl and snorted in disgust. "I see I was wrong to expect a Grasslander to have any manners," he growled, then rode off.   
  
"You can't speak to high-ranking officials like that, kiddo!" Ace hissed. Crys simply rolled her eyes. "You're lucky we were here. They'll beat the hell out of you for threats like that!"   
  
"Come on, let's go," Geddoe interjected calmly. Crys made a mental note to spend the rest of her life hating that stupid elf ... and to stare at Jacques when he wasn't looking. Lordy, he was hot.  
  
Okay, okay, so it's nothing special ... yet. Don't worry, it'll get less boring in the next chapter. In the meantime, go read some Xenogears fics. They're really good ... but steer clear of "A Song for Valkyrie." I wrote that one, and it sucks. I'm not just saying that, either Ð it really, really SUCKS. 


	2. I'm On My Way Back Down The Food Chain

Chapter Two: I'm On My Way Back Down The Food Chain  
  
The trek to Great Hollow lasted the remainder of the day; the team camped out on the Yaza plain that night and arrived at the home of the Lizard clan early the next morning. Geddoe told Crys to try her best not to insult the Lizards, causing her to get affronted and mumble something under her breath. As they approached the entrance, Jacques stopped in his tracks. Crys, being the kind, caring person she was, promptly asked him what the hell his problem was. "They're going to get themselves killed," the man responded quietly. "The Lizard clan's been on edge lately, and one insult could mean their lives. I suggest you stay here."  
  
"Really? They're THAT touchy?"  
  
He nodded. "I tried to warn the captain, but he won't listen ..."  
  
She grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's go! I won't cause any trouble!" She dragged him to where the others were standing, facing a group of angry Lizards.   
  
"What business do you have with the Lizard clan?!" a particularly mean-looking warrior demanded.   
  
"None!" Ace yelped. "We're just traveling merchants!"   
  
"Lies!" the Lizard roared. "We're not blind! Merchants don't carry so many weapons!"  
  
Crys rummaged through her backpack, causing Ace, Joker and Queen to wince Ð something told them that she was going to cause a problem. She found a small box and stepped forward, holding it out to the Lizard who'd spoken. "Here! Sometimes when you're on-edge it helps if you eat something sweet. We're not bad guys, you know." He stared at her for a moment; Joker slapped a hand to his forehead. "Go on, take it. It's carrot cake, for God's sake! You can't turn down a pastry."  
  
There was a second of heavy silence before the warrior finally chuckled. As soon as he did, the other Lizards lowered their weapons. "You're an amusing one, child. Thank you for your kind offer, but you may keep your ... 'pastry' ... to yourself."  
  
"Why? Y'all don't eat pastries?" she asked in that sweet, innocent voice of hers.  
  
"We've never heard of such food here before. Anyway, are you the leader of this group?"  
  
"Nah. He is," she replied, waving a hand toward Geddoe.   
  
"I am Geddoe, captain of the Holy Harmonia Kingdom's 12th Southern Frontier Defense Unit. I request an audience with your chief."   
  
"Very well, I'll arrange a meeting. Please, do come in." ***  
  
"That was really great, getting those warriors to lighten up," Ace said cheerfully as he and the other members of the team, save Geddoe, sat around drinking tea (or, in Ace and Joker's case, scotch). "How'd you know they'd react like that?"  
  
"I just figured they'd act like regular folks and take a peace offering. It turned out better than I hoped, too Ð I got to keep my carrot cake."  
  
"And to think everyone was terrified you'd land us in a whole heap of trouble," Queen laughed. "I guess you're pretty worldly for someone your age.."  
  
Crys shrugged. "Eh."  
  
Geddoe returned moments later. "What'd the chief say, Captain?" Ace inquired.   
  
"Not much."  
  
"So, when you say 'not much,' I assume you mean 'a lot more than I'm willing to disclose,' right?" Joker asked snidely.   
  
Geddoe shook his head in reply. "No, it actually means 'not much' this time. Zepon doesn't know much about the Fire Bringer rumors."  
  
Before anyone could say anything else, Shiba, the Lizard to whom Crys had offered her beloved carrot cake, rushed past. "Intruders! There are intruders!" he called out. Several Lizard fighters ran up to him, brandishing their weapons. "Let's go. We can't let them pass!"  
  
Geddoe's entire team, save Jacques, looked at him questioningly. "Yes, we'd better check it out," he sighed a moment later.   
  
Elated, the team grabbed their weapons and headed down the passageway the fighters had taken. Crys smiled; her chance to prove herself in combat was drawing near. As they turned a corner Geddoe found himself facing the business end of a Lizard warrior's spear. "You! You must be the intruders!" he growled, lunging for the unit captain. Geddoe parried the attack and used the handle of his sword to disarm his opponent. Two more Lizards leapt at the team, one at Joker and another at Crys Ð but they stopped dead in their tracks at the sound of Shiba's booming voice.   
  
"Stop where you are! These people are our guests!" After ample explainations and apologies, Geddoe offered his help to the Lizard clan, which Shiba reluctantly accepted. When the tunnel finally ended and the group arrived in the sunlight, Chris Lightfellow of the Zexen knights was waiting for them with a team of her own. "What are you doing here?!" Shiba barked, glancing at the corpses of his clan that littered the area. "We're about to sign a treaty!"  
  
"We just wanted to test the strength of the most powerful of the clans," Chris said, smiling and unsheathing her blade. Several knights that were at her side drew their swords as well; the seasoned yet easily angered Shiba leapt at them, forcing Geddoe and his allies to aid him.   
  
Chris cast a powerful ice spell, knocking Shiba, Geddoe and Joker out of the way. Queen was barely able to repel the knight captain's attack, and Ace and Jacques found themselves face-to-face with a horde of Zexen knights. "Hey, bitch!" Crys taunted. "Bring your fat ironhead ass over here and try that!"   
  
Chris laughed. "So the little girl has a deathwish, eh? So be it. It'll be your funeral."  
  
"Don't do it, kiddo!" Ace shouted over the commotion.   
  
"That fool ..." Jacques hissed.   
  
Chris shot several ice blades at Crys, but the younger girl leapt over them and brought her naginata down with such force it crushed the earth beneath and around it when her opponent rolled out of the way. "I see you have some skill," the knight chuckled as the two paused, their noses almost touching.  
  
"A hell of a lot more than you," the warrior responded politely. The blade of her lance was in the air in half a second, and the silver-haired Zexen barely kept her right arm attached to her body as Crys swept it at her. The knight swung around to put extra strength into her attack, but her sword hit the handle of her enemy's weapon at a perpendicular angle. She tried once again to use the same attack, but with identical results.   
  
"Stop parrying my attacks and make one of your own!" she snarled, thrusting her sword at Crys.   
  
"A good fighter only attacks when their opponents let their guard down," the girl said sweetly, dodging the blade with ease. She swung her naginata around, slapping its handle across the knight's face.   
  
"Wench!" the ironhead shrieked, running toward her without regard to her defense. Crys took that narrow window of opportunity to slam the end of the handle into her opponent's stomach and knock her to the ground. Before Chris Lightfellow could open her eyes she felt the cold steel of Crys' spear against her exposed throat.   
  
An arrow wizzed through the air and embedded itself in Crys' upper right arm. She gritted her teeth and grabbed it, tearing it from her flesh. The Zexen swept her leg across the ground, knocking Crys over. The enemy soldiers made a hasty retreat, leaving a bewildered Crys to obsess over the fact that she'd made such a foolish mistake.  
  
"Are you okay?" Queen asked, noticing the blood staining her shirt. "That's awful!"  
  
"Yeah, I'll take care of it," Crys grumbled as she got to her feet.   
  
"Geez, that's a nasty wound!" Ace exclaimed. "You should get that bandaged."  
  
"I'll take care of it," she said slowly and angrily, grabbing her weapon and turning back toward Great Hollow. A single Lizard fighter dashed toward them, eyes full of fire.   
  
"Shiba! The chief ... we couldn't ... he's ..."   
  
Shiba brushed past him and headed for the chief's room, the others in tow. A gruesome sight awaited them; Zepon had been beheaded and his blood smeared all over the floor. Crys winced at the scene, and Queen and Jacques both looked away. "So they were after the chief all along ..." Bazba remarked in disbelief.   
  
Dupa shook his head. "We failed him."   
  
Shiba clenched a fist. "The ironheads will pay for this!" he roared.   
  
Geddoe instructed the team to leave soon after, believing they'd outlived their stay. Before they left, Crys sat in the inn, gingerly rubbing medicine onto her deep wound. It hurt like hell, and for a moment she felt tears fill her eyes; they weren't from pain, but from the frustration of allowing her enemy to escape and seeing the Lizard clan chief's mangled body. The tears burned and threatened to fall, but she wouldn't let them Ð she never cried. Within moments they'd disappeared, and she proceeded to wrap a bandage around her upper arm. She emerged into the main chamber soon after, her shirt cleared of the blood but her trademark grin missing. "Are you ready?" Geddoe asked her. She nodded solemnly. "Alright then, we should leave."  
  
"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Joker inquired as they set off toward the Yaza plain again. "That was incredible!"  
  
"My papa taught me everything he knows." She huffed angrily. "And he taught me to never take my eyes off the enemy when I've got 'em cornered. Too bad I couldn't follow instructions," she added bitterly.  
  
"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Ace assured her. "If you'd killed that woman, there'd be a full-scale war."  
  
"Like there won't be now ..." Queen snorted.   
  
"Those soldiers ... their footsteps were too light. It was really strange."   
  
The others turned to face Jacques. "What did you say?" Joker inquired.   
  
"They didn't leave any footprints. Don't you find that odd?"  
  
"You notice things like that?" Crys asked, raising an eyebrow. "You must be a sucker for detail, or whatever the term is."  
  
"I guess so ..."  
  
"Well, where are we going now, Captain?"   
  
"To Karaya," Geddoe replied. "I'd like to speak with Lucia, the clan chief."  
  
"Fair enough," Crys sighed. 


	3. Falling In and Out of Love

Chapter Three: Falling In (And Out Of) Love  
  
Yo, this is a sort of songfic, since I was listening to "Yubiwa" from the Escaflowne: A Girl In Gaea soundtrack when I wrote it. It just seemed to fit. I don't own that, either.  
  
The 12th unit of the Defense Force had to take the long way around Brass Castle; thanks to the attack on the Lizard clan (not to mention Crys' little scuffles with Roland and Chris), it would be dangerous to take Crysinto the city. After a day and a half of hiking, the group finally reached the Plain of Amur. "Thank God!" Crys exclaimed happily as they approached it.   
  
"Took long enough ..." Ace grumbled.   
  
"Hey, it ain't MY fault the ironheads attacked Great Hollow!" she snapped, frowning at him.   
  
"Never said it was, never said it was ..." he sighed, waving a hand in the air toward her. "Anyway, Captain, can we stop for the night? I'm exhausted."  
  
"I suppose."  
  
Crys sat down with her back against a rock and yawned. "I'm soooo tired," she remarked. Jacques sat down next to her and closed his eyes. "Hey, blondie, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong, why?"  
  
"Uh ..." She thought hard for a moment; she'd actually asked only because she wanted to spark a conversation. The guy was too damn quiet. "Well, you just don't seem ... you kinda look ... it's just that ... ah, forget it."  
  
"Looks like someone has a crush," Ace teased, using a gloved hand to mess up Crys' hair, which she'd finally let hang loose.   
  
"Hey! Watch it!"  
  
"I'd watch out for her type, Jacques," he warned cheerfully. "They get all clingy in a relationship. But then again, I dunno what a man'd see in a flat-chested giant like her anyway."   
  
"Shut up!"   
  
"Oh, take it like a man, Sasquatch!" he laughed. "Or, should I call you Babyboobs from now on ...?"  
  
"You are SUCH a moron!"  
  
"Ace, stop teasing her!" Joker said firmly. "And Crys, stop encouraging him!"  
  
"Oooh, someone's in trouble with the old man!" Ace snickered.   
  
"Yeah, and in case you didn't understand, you are, too, stupid!" Geddoe sighed; Joker and Queen started laughing. "And besides, I do NOT have a crush! You're just reading something into it, you got that?"  
  
"Oh, come on, sweetie, Jacques here has 'Casanova' written all over him! Women can't resist his kind."   
  
"Maybe, but they sure as hell can resist YOURS."  
  
Ace frowned. "Ah, forget it. He probably wouldn't go for your type anyway."  
  
"And what 'type' would that be?"  
  
"I believe I've said it before - a flat-chested giant."  
  
"Stop calling me that!"   
  
Sometime during the argument, Jacques had left the campsite. Crys quickly noticed this and set out after him, calling, "See what you've done?" over her shoulder to Ace. She headed toward a small cluster of trees, thinking he'd probably want to go someplace shady; it was nearing sunset, but the sun was still brutal. Sure enough, her instincts were right, and he was sitting up against a tall tree, reading a dog-eared copy of "The Great Gatsby," his favorite book.   
  
"Uh ... sorry about that," Crys said sheepishly, brushing several long strands of hair out of her eyes. "I'm just sorta ... confrontational."  
  
"It doesn't bother me. I just prefer silence when I read."   
  
She let out a nervous laugh. "Then I guess you wouldn't want me here, talkin' your ear off, huh?" She turned to leave, but Jacques' voice stopped her dead in her tracks.   
  
"I don't mind ... if you'd like to stay here."  
  
Crys felt her heart leap. The world's shyest prettyboy was saying he didn't mind if she stayed with him! Sure, it wasn't like he was asking her on a date or anything, but it was a start. "Oh, okay," she said quietly, sitting down about four or five feet away from him.   
  
"You don't have to sit so far away."   
  
'Okay, so maybe I CAN get excited about this,' she thought to herself, standing up and sitting back down so that there were only six inches in between them. "So, uh, what're you reading?"  
  
"'The Great Gatsby.'"  
  
"Oh, by F. Scott Fitzgerald? Have you read 'Tender is the Night?'"   
  
"Of course. I've read all of his published works."  
  
Their conversation about such famous authors as George Orwell and John Steinbeck lasted nearly three hours; when the sun finally set, they began heading back toward the campsite. 'Jacques is ... easy to talk to,' Crys concluded as they reached the campfire where the others were waiting impatiently.   
  
"So I assume you two were getting all lovey-dovey," Ace chuckled. "Nothing else takes that long."  
  
"It - it wasn't like that!" Crys protested, her face turning red.   
  
"Then what were you doing?"   
  
"Talking," Jacques replied calmly. The girl at his side frowned and nodded.   
  
"Right, right ..." Ace sighed, laying the sarcasm on pretty thickly.   
  
Crys' excitement about the day's events kept her awake for a while. After a few hours she sat up, deciding to take a walk. As she did, she noticed Jacques sitting on a rock, watching over the team. "Can't sleep?" he asked quietly.   
  
"No."  
  
"I can't either." He sighed. "I used to be a sniper for the Harmonian military, so I was up late at night waiting for any signs of movement. I guess I haven't quite broken the habit yet."  
  
"That's the longest you've ever spoken since we met. When we were talking earlier, I'd have to urge you on after one sentence!"  
  
Jacques was silent for a moment. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" he asked. "You don't talk about yourself that often."  
  
"Well, you're about the first person to show any interest." She thought for a second about what to say, then spoke. "Well, I'm seventeen, I'm 5'8", and I like dogs. Is that enough?"  
  
He shrugged. "Isn't there anything else you'd like to share?"  
  
Crys felt a little nervous; even so, she was delighted Jacques had such interest in her. "Uh, let's see ... I'm usually a people person, I'm terrified of water, heights, and spiders, and ... well, my papa always tells me no one will marry me if I don't start acting like a girl." She immediately shut her mouth after that final comment, fearing he'd think that she had a crush on him or something (even thought she did).   
  
" ... That's not true. I'm sure there's a lot of men out there that'd like you for who you are."  
  
She felt her cheeks grow hot, and was at once thankful for the darkness. "Thanks."  
  
"Anyway, you should get to sleep. We'll be leaving early."  
  
"But what about you? You should get some sleep, too."  
  
"Don't worry about me. I'm used to not getting a lot of sleep."  
  
Crys opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it again, thinking it better to shut up and go to bed. After a fitful night's sleep, Queen shook her awake, and they were off to Karaya. "I'm so sleeeeepy," Crys yawned. It was barely daybreak and they were already hiking at a fast pace. She glanced at Jacques, who was wearing his usual emotionless expression. "Are you okay? Did you get any sleep?"  
  
He nodded. "A little."  
  
"Oh, alright." She couldn't think of anything to say. She wanted desperately to ask about him questions about himself, but was too shy. It was odd, since she was usually bold and not at all scared to share her opinions. She had a little crush on him, but she wasn't sure yet if it was love.   
  
"And there it is," Joker said after what seemed like an eternity. "Karaya Village."  
  
"How pretty," Crys remarked. "They really picked a great place to live, what with the open plains and all."  
  
They slowly walked into the town, but were confronted by a young girl and a group of swordsmen. "What are you doing here?!" the girl demanded.   
  
"We're from a traveling circus," Ace explained. Crys groaned in exasperation, with Queen and Joker following suit. "The little girl and I are knife throwers, and Ð"  
  
"I'm NOT a little girl!"   
  
"Anyway, as I was saying Ð"  
  
"Don't try to trick me!" the dark-skinned girl growled. She set an arrow and let it fly, missing Ace's cheek by mere inches. The team drew their weapons as the swordsmen advanced toward them, seeing that a fight was inevitable.   
  
"Oh, great," Joker grumbled. "Another fine mess you've gotten us into, Ace."  
  
"Don't blame me!" he protested as he held one of his knives out, blocking an opponent's attack. "I was just trying to keep us out of a fight!"  
  
"A lot of good it did, too," Queen snorted, parrying one of the swordsmen's thrusts.   
  
Crys planted the blade of her spear in the earth and used it to swing around and kick her enemy in the stomach. Before one of the warriors would charge her, Jacques fired several arrows at the enemy's feet, preventing him from moving any further while he regained his composure. Crys took that second to punch him in the face, opting to knock her enemies out rather than kill them.   
  
"Stop it!" a deep voice commanded over the commotion. The girl immediately stopped fighting and looked at him.   
  
"Jimba!" she exclaimed. "These people Ð"  
  
"Are our guests," he finished for her. "Captain Geddoe, I am sorry for this. Our warriors are away, and we're rather edgy."  
  
"It doesn't matter," the morose captain replied, shaking his head. "It's fine."  
  
"Please, come in. I'll make up for the rude greeting. Aila, please apologize."  
  
The girl known as Aila frowned. "I'm sorry for attacking you. I had no idea you were guests," was the brusque reply.  
  
"I somehow doubt your sincerity," Crys said flatly.  
  
Aila huffed and stormed off. "Please, come in and sit down," Jimba offered. ***  
  
"You! You there!" a voice called out. The remaining members of the team (Geddoe had left to speak with Jimba) turned to face a man in a white porcelain mask. He grabbed the hands of Crys and Jacques in either of his and shook them. "You two! You're perfect for the parts in my play! Please, please lend me your talents!"  
  
Crys gasped and yanked her hand from his grasp. "Go away, you creep!" she nearly shouted.   
  
"Oh, don't misunderstand," he said politely, giving them a bow. "I want you to work as actors for me. That's all I want."  
  
Jacques calmly removed the man's hand from his own. "Find someone else," he said quietly.   
  
"But you two are PERFECT! I'll pay you any amount you wish!" he pleaded.   
  
"That ain't worth the spit you wasted saying it!" Crys growled, but Ace put a hand on her shoulder.   
  
"How high will you go?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"Make an offer and I'll pay it!"   
  
"A quarter of a million and you can have them," he said.   
  
"Done!"  
  
"What?! No!" Crys pulled away from Ace. "You can't do that! You're not our pimp!"  
  
"Hey, Babyboobs, traveling isn't cheap. We need a lot of money if we're gonna keep letting you tag along."  
  
"But ... but ..."  
  
"Do what you want, but we have to be out of here in three days, tops," Ace explained. "Is that okay?"  
  
"Oh, yes, that's fine. It's a very short play, and we'll only have one performance. It'll be here in the village, so you don't have to worry."  
  
Jacques didn't look that upset, but Crys was fuming. "So, Babyboobs, I hope you like acting."  
  
"Don't wanna, can't make me!" she whimpered, horrified.   
  
"Come on, take one for the team, kid," Queen said with a smile. "Jacques doesn't seem to mind that much."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "This isn't the way I expected this trip to go."  
  
"Ace, didn't you even think about running this by the captain?" Joker inquired.   
  
"Relax, old man! He said we'd be here for three days, so it's natural that he'd allow some money-making to go on."   
  
"Oh God," Crys groaned, sinking to her knees.   
  
"I'm Nadir," the masked man greeted. "What are your names?"  
  
" ... Jacques."  
  
"Crystelle Syaoran."  
  
"A Syaoran? My, Li Syaoran was a fine actor! I gave him acting lessons as a child!" Nadir exclaimed.   
  
"I know. Papa told me you did."  
  
"So you're Marquis Li Syaoran's daughter? Oh, I had no idea I was in the presence of royalty."  
  
"You're not, really. We're like the white trash of royalty. No, don't bow! I said QUIT it!"  
  
"Her temper's getting shorter and shorter," Joker remarked to Queen and Ace, who both nodded in agreement.  
  
Nadir clasped her hand again. "I sure hope your hands are clean ..." she mumbled.   
  
"Now, you two, off to rehearsal!" ***  
  
"Why didn't you say you were royalty?" Ace asked as Crys leafed through the short script.   
  
"It was on a need-to-know basis," she replied without a hint of interest.   
  
"Really? How?"  
  
"YOU didn't NEED to know!" she hissed irritably. She quickly caught herself, however. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that ... well, that Nadir guy's creepy. He ... creeps the hell out of me." She paused. "And I'm really mad at you for pimpin' me and Jacques out! That's horrible! We're not whores, you know!"  
  
"Please, Lady Crystelle, come and rehearse!" Nadir urged. Crys shuddered angrily and joined Jacques, who was standing near the creepy, creepy drama producer (or whatever the hell he was, she didn't care). "Now, please, start reading from the top of the second page."  
  
"'Oh, Allen, I don't care what my father says. I know our love is forbidden, but I can't stop loving you!'" She looked up at Jacques. "This script SUCKS," she whispered. He nodded in reply. "'It's true what they say, isn't it? Love never dies.'"  
  
"'Marlene, I know how you feel. I feel the same way, but ...'"  
  
"'Allen, can't you tell me you love me? I know you do, so why can't you say it?'"  
  
"That's such a sappy script," Queen remarked. "Doesn't look like either Crys or Jacques are getting into it."  
  
"Um ... I think they are, actually," Joker replied. "I think they're talking to each other more than anything else."  
  
After a few minutes more of watching the two read their lines, it became more and more obvious to Queen and Ace that Joker was right; Jacques and Crys were using the lines as a front to let their emotions out. "Love is a beautiful thing ..." Ace sighed.   
  
"Like you'd know anything about it," Queen murmured.   
  
When the final scene was reached, Allen and Marlene (get the joke? do you? if you don't, watch The Vision of Escaflowne) managed to declare their love for each other openly Ð and it seemed that Jacques and Crys finally had, as well. Even if it was through the lines of the play, they seemed relieved to have spoken their true feelings.   
  
"Brilliant! Brilliant!" Nadir cried out, clapping enthusiastically. "Please, meet me back here tonight for another rehearsal."  
  
"Finally!" Crys sighed as she and Jacques walked toward the outskirts of the village. She sat down on a log. "I thought we'd NEVER get through that stupid script."  
  
Jacques, standing next to her, nodded. "It was really ... sappy."  
  
"Yeah, it was. Plus, I hate love stories. The people who write them are a bunch of emotional wusses. Always so freakin' sensitive!" She shook her head. "Sorry. I've gotten really short-tempered since I left home. Hope you don't mind."  
  
"I don't."  
  
The two were silent for several moments; letting their feelings out during the play had paved the way for anxieties galore to keep them quiet in each other's presence.   
  
Nadmida ga ato kara afuredashite  
Saigo no egao ga nijinde mienai no  
Ikanaide! Ikanaide! Koko ni ite  
Sora e hikari kakenukete yuku  
  
(As my tears keep overflowing,  
I can't see your last smile through the blur  
Don't go! Don't go! Stay with me  
Light breaks through the sky)  
  
Jacques shyly sat down on the log next to her and cleared his throat. "It's ... a beautiful sunset, isn't it?"  
  
She nodded. "Yup."  
  
Konna ni chiisa na watashi dakedo  
Anata wo dare yori sei ippai aishita  
Arigatou ikutsumo no   
Taisetsu na kimochi  
Tewata shite kureta yo ne  
  
(I'm so insignificant, but  
I love you with all my soul Ð more than anyone  
Thank you for all of the precious feelings you've given to me)  
  
"You know ..." Jacques begun, but his voice trailed off. Crys turned to look at him and noticed he was blushing, even though it was difficult to tell in the fading light. She felt her chest tighten as she thought about what he wanted to say.   
  
"Sono toki zutto watashi wa kie kaketa hikoukigumo wo mite ita ..."  
  
("At the time I just watched for ages as the vapor trail vanished ..."  
  
"About the team ... how long will you be staying with us?"   
  
Her heart sank. "Oh, THAT. I guess I'll part ways with y'all when we get to my hometown."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Actually, I might even leave sooner than that. Since everyone's getting ready for war, my papa's probably worried about me, so ..."  
  
He looked disheartened. "So ... we might not see each other again ..."  
  
Wasurenaide hitori ja nai  
Hanarete mo te wo tsunaide iru  
Hajimete no koi hajimete shitta  
konna kanashimi ga aru koto  
  
(Don't forget you're not alone  
Even if we part   
Our hands are still linked  
It was my first love   
When I first learned of sadness like this)  
  
"I wouldn't say THAT, but maybe."  
  
"I ... I, um ..."  
  
She gave him an angry look. "If you want to say something, just say it!"  
  
Nanika ga shoumetsu shite mo nanika ga  
Futatabi yadotte  
Wakare ni kureta hohoemi wa tsuyoku ikiyou to yuu  
Anata kara no mesejii  
  
(Even if something fades away  
Something will live again  
The smile you gave me as we parted   
Was your message of truimph for me)  
  
"Look, I ... I have feelings for you, okay?" he said finally, looking off to the side.  
  
Her anger faded into confusion. "You do?"  
  
"... Mm-hmm."  
  
She smiled and looked at the ground. "You know, I kinda picked up on that when we were going through our lines for the play."  
  
"You did?"  
  
Itsu kitto aeru  
Futari naraba   
Tookutemo hitomi mitsumeau  
Kibou to yume no subete o kakete  
Yakusoku wo shiyou yo   
Ano hi no hageshisa wo daite  
Ashita saku mirai wo ikiru  
  
(Someday surely we'll meet again  
And be together  
No matter how far, we'll stare into each other's eyes  
Let's promise each other that we'll   
Hold onto the intensity of this day  
And live for the future that blooms with tomorrow)  
  
"Yeah. I guess I was using the play as a front to tell you how I felt, just like it seems you were. I'm just too cowardly to tell you outright, I guess."  
  
"You're a lot braver about expressing yourself than I am," he said quietly. "I've had problems doing it since I was a kid. But, you're the one that gave me the courage to finally say it."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You have this personality that just screams 'live for the moment,' that's what. I decided to be more like you and just get it out in the open."  
  
Crys smiled warmly. A still-blushing Jacques tentatively put an arm around her shoulders; she responded by leaning against him. They sat together calmly for what seemed like (and both wished it could be) an eternity. The only thing that stopped them from staying there all night was the first of many flaming arrows fired into Karaya Village. 


	4. My Life Is Your Faith In Me

Chapter Four: My Life Is Your Faith In Me  
  
Hoo-boy ... sleepy. It's late, and I've already taken my night medication (yeah, I take antidepressants four times daily, three different prescriptions, zippity-doo-dah) but I can't sleep, since MAD TV is on. Hee hee ... the center of the earth skit involving that crappy boy band is hilarious. Anyway, this is the part of the story where events deviate from the ones portrayed in the game. Plus, from here on out it's got a bit of Chris-bashing, so Chris fans should leave now. Just so y'all know, Chris is one of my least favorite characters (the others being Augustine, Thomas and Gillaume). I dunno why I don't like her ... there's just something about her that rubs me the wrong way.  
  
"My God ..." Crys murmured. She and Jacques headed toward the now-burning village only to find Zexen knights slaughtering the Karayan people. Jacques grabbed his crossbow and set an arrow; Crys gripped the handle of her naginata and leapt into the fray.   
  
"Damned ironheads ..." Jacques growled through gritted teeth, shooting a soldier right in the throat; he'd reloaded and shot again before the minute was over. Crys slashed through the armor of the knights, felling several, but stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Chris Lightfellow.  
  
"You," she snarled. "I'm not letting you go this time!"  
  
"What are you talking about?!" the knight captain demanded. "We've never met!"  
  
Ignoring her enemy, the girl leapt forward and knocked Chris off her horse, which immediately took off. As she prepared to deal the finishing blow, however, the knight's sword came up and slashed her across the stomach. Shrugging off the pain, Crys stabbed her opponent just below the collarbone. "Stop it!" Jacques shouted, grabbing Crys around the middle and dragging her backward. "She'll kill you!"   
  
For the first time in her short life, she listened to good advice. As Chris Lightfellow struggled to sit up, the two left the village. "There's nothing we can do now," Jacques said softly as they watched it burn from a distance. He carefully bandaged Crys' shallow wound and then sat down beside her. "I know you're angry Ð"  
  
"LIVID," Crys corrected quietly, rubbing her tender stomach.   
  
" Ð but you have to realize that there are limits to what you should do in situations like that. What if you got yourself killed? How would your family feel?"  
  
She fell into silence. "Hey, where were you two?" Ace's voice demanded from behind them. The rest of the team approached with Aila following close behind.   
  
"We were in the village for a while, but ..."   
  
"Say no more, Sasquatch, say no more. I understand that things got too heated for you two ..."  
  
"You JERK!" she yelled angrily. "God, that's not how it was at all! Jacques dragged me off because he was convinced that stupid broad Chris was gonna kill me!"   
  
"From the look of it, she got you pretty good," Joker remarked.   
  
"Oh, shut up. I got a good hit in, too!" She paused. "What's she doing here, anyway?"  
  
"I guess we're taking her along," Queen answered.   
  
"After she attacked us?!"  
  
"Calm down, Sasquatch. That was all a misunderstanding."  
  
"Oh, yeah, because you made up some stupid story ..." Joker murmured.   
  
"Shut up, old man ..."  
  
"If you are QUITE finished, I'd like for us to head back to Caleria," Geddoe interrupted.   
  
Suddenly a thought crossed Crys' mind. "Uh, Mr. Captain ... I have a question," she began sheepishly, staring at her hands as she began to fiddle with them nervously. "Since the ironheads have been running around attacking everyone, and you didn't get an official summons from Caleria ... could we possibly go to my hometown? I mean, it's, like, right in between Karaya and Great Hollow, so ..."  
  
Geddoe shrugged. "I don't see why not."  
  
She looked greatly relieved. "Oh, thanks so much! I'm really worried about everyone."  
  
"About your 'papa' in particular?"   
  
"Knock it off!"   
  
"Oh, God ..." Queen mumbled. "Let's just leave before they get into another one of their huge fights. ***  
  
After a great deal of traveling, they finally reached the home of what remained of the Syaoran clan Ð Kai's Deep. Over the days Crys and Aila had become fast friends, which wasn't that surprising to the others, considering they were closer in age. Jacques and Crys had become noticeably closer as well, which was a perfect opportunity for Ace to torment them some more.   
  
"Thank God no one attacked!" Crys said with a sigh of relief as the reached the top of a nearby hill. "Oh, and Ace, don't say a word about my papa, okay? I can't help it if he spoils me rotten."  
  
As they approached the front gate (the small village was surrounded by a 7-foot stone wall) a young man came running toward them. "Crystelle! Crystelle!" he cried out, stopping at Crys' feet.   
  
"What's wrong, Kousei?" She looked alarmed.   
  
"It's ... it's Father. He's been throwing a fit since you've been gone. He's so worried about you! When he heard Great Hollow and Karaya were attacked Ð"  
  
"Hey, don't worry. I'm here now, so he'll calm down."  
  
As they advanced into the city, Kousei escorting them, several people stopped to give Crys warm welcomes. "Gee, you're pretty popular," Joker remarked.   
  
"Yeah, I'll be taking the throne as soon as I turn eighteen or earlier, if Papa kicks the bucket - God forbid Ð and so they're really nice. Well, then again, they're nice to my brothers and my papa too, so I guess it's just the family thing."  
  
"The people look so happy!" Aila commented. "Your father must be a great ruler."  
  
Crys laughed. "Yup, that's my daddy. Everyone loves him."  
  
"Crys?" a deep voice asked from behind. The group turned to face a man with greenish hair tied back in a ponytail and a five o'clock shadow (basically, Ryouji Kaji from Evangelion - I picked him because he actually looks like my dad). "Crys, it IS you!" He dashed forward and embraced her with such force he nearly knocked her over.   
  
"Are you her father?" Geddoe asked.   
  
"No, I'm her boyfriend."   
  
"He's lying, we broke up," Crys said with a straight face.   
  
"Yeah, I'm her father. You must be Captain Geddoe. Nice to meet you." He turned back to his daughter. "Oh, Crystelle, honey, I'm so glad you're safe! I was so worried about you, darling! My precious angel! My little princess!"   
  
Ace shook with stifled laughter; Queen and Joker gave him death glares. Jacques smiled (mildly) at the spectacle of the father and daughter while Aila and Geddoe looked mildly amused. "My goodness! Your clothes are ripped ... and what's that bandage around your stomach?! You weren't hurt, were you?"  
  
"It's nothing, Papa! I'm okay, really!"   
  
After nearly ten minutes of Marquis Li Syaoran fawning over his daughter, he invited the team to the "palace" (which was simply a building resembling a Shinto shrine) for tea. As they spoke, Crys put her naginata away in her room and changed out of her clothes.   
  
"I heard the Karaya and Lizard clans were attacked," he said gravely, pouring tea for everyone (he didn't believe in servants).   
  
"Yes, sadly," Geddoe replied. "The chief of the Lizard Clan was assassinated, and many Karayan lives were lost." Aila looked down at the floor.   
  
"I see. My little girl wasn't too big of a burden, was she? She tends to be rather selfish ... which is entirely my fault, because I raised her like that. She always gets her way ... I just can't say no to that cute face of hers!"  
  
"She was a big help and never asked for anything in return," Geddoe said quickly. "I had no idea she'd had an upbringing other than a common one. I didn't even know the Syaoran leader was royalty."  
  
"Please, we're the white trash of royalty. We don't believe we're any better than anyone else ... but still, I've spoiled my little angel beyond repair."   
  
"I'm not spoiled, Papa," Crys said from the doorway that led to the hall. She'd since changed into something other than her samurai gi Ð she now wore a long scarlet Chinese-style dress with slits up the sides over black baggy-ish pants and combat boots. Jacques (and, not surprisingly, Ace) looked at her with interest.  
  
"Anyway, I'm sorry to say that my daughter cannot continue traveling with you. She'll be eighteen in a few months, so she has to begin preparations to take the throne."  
  
"Is that true, Crys?" Queen asked.   
  
The girl looked like she'd lost her best friends. " ... yeah. I really want to go with y'all, but ... "  
  
"Her journey stops here," her father finished for her. Noticing the sorrow in Jacques' face, he quickly continued. "But, Crys, honey, why don't you escort them to the mountain shortcut that leads east? That will give you time to say your goodbyes."  
  
"Right ..." she said sadly.   
  
"It's awful that you won't be with us anymore," Queen said as Crys led them through a mountain path toward the east.   
  
"I know ... but it's important that I take the throne."  
  
"Why won't your brothers do it? Come to think of it, we didn't meet all of them," Aila added.   
  
She shook her head. "Kousei's the only one that sees the light of day. The others, Kaida and Bryant, are pretty much shut-ins, they're so antisocial. They're somewhere in the village. Besides, my brothers can't take the throne because they all failed the test to receive Tetsaiga."  
  
"What's Tetsaiga?"   
  
"Dunno. It's our family's treasure, though, and only those chosen to take the throne can receive it. On our eighteenth birthdays we have to enter the heart of the shrine and stand before our ancestor Ð the God of War and Courage. Evidently Papa has Tetsaiga now, but I have no idea what it is."  
  
"Tetsaiga ..." Geddoe murmured.   
  
"This is where I have to stop," Crys said after awhile. "I'm gonna miss y'all a lot." Jacques, who was standing next to her, noticed her eyes were tearing up. His hand found hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Geddoe looked at Queen, who nodded. They prompted the rest of the team to give them a moment or two alone.   
  
"I ... I'll come back to see you very soon," Jacques whispered. She leaned her head against his chest.   
  
"Promise?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
"I really don't care about taking the throne that much ... I wish I could be with you instead." She paused, then laughed sadly. "I sound like that dumb broad from that God-awful play, huh?"  
  
Jacques simply planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. Crys looked up at him, and they were about to kiss when Kousei rode up on his horse. "Crystelle! The Zexens are attacking!"   
  
"Ironheads?!" she demanded. Kousei, who held the reins to her steed, the gray stallion Sleipnir, nodded gravely. She leapt onto Sleipnir's back and rode at full speed toward the village.   
  
"The Zexens ... " Geddoe said quietly.   
  
"Those damned ironheads aren't going to kill anyone else!" Aila cried out, grabbing her bow. "We have to help!"  
  
"Agreed ..." Queen growled.   
  
The 12th unit followed as fast as they could only to find Kai's Deep entirely engulfed in flames. Memories of the Karayan tragedy filled Aila's mind, and Queen gasped at the cruelty the soldiers were exhibiting toward the villagers. Drawing their weapons, they fought hard until they reached a nearby hill where the knight Salome was fighting Crys' father. "You'll not have my child!" Li shouted angrily, raising his katana to attack. "I don't care whether or not she's the one Ð she's my daughter, and nothing will change that."  
  
"We're giving you this chance to surrender peacefully," Salome warned. "I won't hesitate to kill you if need be."  
  
Li lunged forward, but Salome's years of experience quickly felled the Syaoran leader. As Li fell to the ground with a sickening thud, Salome rode off in search of Crys. "Papa!" her voice shrieked as she came up behind the team. Kousei, however, was nowhere to be found. She was at his side in an instant and knelt beside him, gently grabbing his right hand.   
  
"I ... I wish I could've explained the truth about you ..." he choked out, reaching his other hand to caress his beloved daughter's cheek. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at his wound - Salome's sword had stabbed all the way through his heart.   
  
"Hang on, Papa," she urged, voice cracking. "You'll be okay."  
  
"Crys, honey, your brothers ... are dead. You're the last Syaoran left alive, so ..."  
  
"Papa, don't say that! You're still here with me!"   
  
He laughed, but began coughing up blood halfway through. Queen looked him over briefly, then shook her head. "He's beyond my help," she whispered to Geddoe. "All the magic in the world can't help him now." The older man nodded.   
  
Li turned to Jacques. "Take good care of my little girl, okay? She's ... my precious angel, you know ..."  
  
"I-I will," he stammered in reply.   
  
"Get out of here ... before they kill you. You are ..." His voice trailed off and his arm grew limp.   
  
"He's gone," Geddoe remarked grimly, putting a heavy hand on Crys' shoulder. "I'm sorry."  
  
"We should help the survivors get out of here," Queen said quickly to the team. She wanted everyone to leave Crys to herself, perhaps with Jacques there to console her.   
  
Crys put her father's hand over his heart and lifted her head, eyes full of fire. She frowned and grabbed his sword, Jessou, from his side and was on her feet instantly. Before anyone could stop her, she took off and leapt down the steep hillside. "H-Hey!" Ace cried out, reaching a hand after her.   
  
Crys dropped eight feet with her father's sword drawn, slicing a Zexen soldier (who, unfortunately, was standing directly below her) nearly in half and landing gracefully afterward. She charged into the battlefield, Jessou cutting through the armor of the ironheads with ease. "The fool girl ... what is she doing?" Joker demanded.   
  
"The only thing she CAN do ..." Jacques replied quietly, grabbing his crossbow. "I do have to stop her from getting herself killed, though."  
  
"Why? Because you promised her father?" Aila asked.   
  
Jacques nodded. "Is that the ONLY reason?" Ace taunted.   
  
"Yes, that's the ONLY reason," the younger of the two shot back.   
  
"This is NOT the time, you two!" Queen shouted angrily, drawing her sword. "We have to help her!"  
  
Crys spun a full 360 degrees, slashing through the armor of two soldiers in the process. She turned quickly and nearly beheaded another and immediately bent her knees slightly, preparing for her next attacker. She'd killed another seven soldiers before they formed a huge circle around her.   
  
"Stop where you are, Syaoran!" Salome commanded. She instantly stopped in her tracks and turned to face the speaker. The knight rode up slowly on his brown mare. "You're Li Syaoran's youngest, are you not?"  
  
"Who's asking?!" she snarled, readying her father's sword. The fifty knights surrounding her followed suit, but Salome held up a hand to halt them.   
  
"My name is of no importance. I suggest you throw down your weapon and surrender, young one. We may decide to spare your life if you cooperate."  
  
"My ass you will!" she retorted. "I'll kill as many of you as I can for what you did!"  
  
"You'd throw your life away for revenge ..." he murmured sadly, shaking his head.  
  
"Just as fast as you'd kill hundreds for the benefit of your own damn country!"   
  
"That defiant spirit ... you're just like your grandfather." He smiled faintly. "He'd be proud, could he see you now. You're a fine warrior, a true Syaoran. Had you not refused my offer or killed so many of my soldiers, I'd have let you live for that reason alone - but since you have, you must be eliminated."  
  
"And I'll take as many of you ironheads with me as possible!" she growled. Salome gave the order for his knights to attack, and they began to close in.  
  
As Crys prepared to trade in her life for vengeance, Jacques used his newly-affixed Blinking Rune to appear behind her. He wrapped on arm tightly around her neck and the other around her waist and whispered a few words in a foreign tongue. In the blink of an eye they were gone.   
  
A safe distance away they reappeared, and Crys watched her beloved hometown burn before her eyes. Within an hour the Zexen army pulled out, deciding that she could not be found in the village. Crys wouldn't let anyone stop her from preparing graves for her family and friends.   
  
Geddoe and his heavy-hearted team helped her care for the survivors and bury the victims; however, she was reluctant to let them assist her with the preparation of her family's graves. Finally she accepted, and they dug resting places for her father, Kaida and Bryant. Kousei's body had presumably been reduced to ash.   
  
The sun was beginning to break the darkness of the pre-dawn sky when she finished saying a few ancient prayers for her father at his resting place. Jacques stood close behind her, deeply concerned. "I'm sorry things had to turn out this way, Papa," she whispered. "I couldn't save you ... or anyone else, for that matter."   
  
"Crystelle ..." Jacques said softly as he stepped up behind her.   
  
"Hm?" she asked cheerfully. She'd turned to face him, smiling ear to ear. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm just worried ..." he said with a slight frown.   
  
"I'm fine!" She turned and began to head back to toward the wreckage of her hometown. As she brushed past Jacques, though, he grabbed her wrist firmly yet gently. She turned fiercely toward him.   
  
"You don't have to pretend anymore."  
  
Tears welled up in her eyes and she tore away from his grasp, storming off into the village.***  
  
"That kid has a lot on her plate," Ace remarked as the team prepared to leave less than an hour later.   
  
"That's why it's a good idea to leave without her," Geddoe said slowly, securing his sword to his belt.   
  
"Without saying goodbye?" Aila asked, amazed that they were leaving her behind.   
  
"She's ... had enough goodbyes to last a lifetime," Jacques answered quietly.   
  
"But I thought of all people you'd want to say goodbye," Queen protested.   
  
"Leave him be," Joker said to her. "Crys, too."  
  
They left moments later; Crys was still tending to the survivors of the massacre. They had just reached the top of the first of the Kai hills when a voice shouted after them. "Wait! Wait for me! WAIT, I said!"   
  
The team turned to see an angry Crys running up the slope toward them. "Jesus Christ, y'all are SO rude! It's just so mean to leave without saying goodbye!" she panted as she came to a stop at their feet.   
  
"What happened to your hair?" Aila gasped.   
  
"I cut it," she replied matter-of-factly, running a hand through it; it was now as short as Queen's. "It's a Syaoran custom, y'know. When one chapter of your life ends and another begins, you cut your hair with Jessou."  
  
"Your father's sword?" Geddoe inquired.   
  
"Yup. Jessou, King of Blades, is one of our family treasures. Tetsaiga is the other one."  
  
"What are you doing?" Ace asked. "Aren't you supposed to take the throne?"  
  
"It'll be there when I get back," she replied, giving him her trademark "God, you're stupid" glance.   
  
"But we're going all the way to Caleria!" Joker protested.   
  
"Yeah, and I'm going with you."  
  
"If you're going, you'd better be prepared. You need your naginata," Geddoe pointed out.  
  
"Don't need it. I have Jessou."  
  
Crys had indeed abandoned her weapon for Jessou. She carried the scabbard at her belt, along with a smaller hunting knife and a pouch full of spell talismans. "You never said you could use magic," Joker said after noticing said talismans.  
  
"It was on a need-to-know basis." She began walking past them.   
  
"How so?"  
  
"You didn't need to know," she answered over her shoulder. He smiled; he liked that saying, having heard it out of her once. It was proof that she was getting over the horrible event.  
  
Jacques smiled warmly, the first real smile the team had seen out of him since he'd joined. Crys gradually fell into step with him as the team headed through the hills toward the mountain path. "It better not've been your idea to leave without telling me," she said accusingly.   
  
"Don't worry, it wasn't."  
  
Her frown melted into her sad smile Ð the one that made Jacques want to change the world so that it couldn't hurt her. "I'm glad I got to see you again. I would've been SO pissed if I hadn't caught up. Luckily, I knew where y'all were heading, though."  
  
As they hiked through the mountain path, Jacques' hand found hers and clasped it tightly.   
  
Okay, I know it's clichŽ, but next time's the obligatory fluff chapter. R and R, no flames, please. I'm quite sensitive. 


End file.
